"I am not one who was born in the custody of wisdom. I am one who is fond of olden times and intense in quest of the sacred knowing of the ancients." Gustave Courbet

10 December 2022

Casually.

Copley, Corkscrew Hanging on a Nail, 1766


From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston ...
Copley was much admired for his ability to depict material goods—rich velvets and satins, soft fur, and delicate lace. Although his portraits often included accessories such as fruit, flowers, or even a teapot, no independent still lifes survive except Corkscrew Hanging on a Nail. This small painting was cut from a doorframe in the Codman House in Lincoln, Massachusetts. In the late 1760s, Copley had been commissioned to paint a portrait of Dr. Charles Russell, a Codman relation by marriage and then the owner of the house. According to family tradition, on a visit to the sitter when wine was offered but no corkscrew was to be found, Copley responded by painting the missing implement on the wall. Rendered with Copley’s customary careful attention to detail, the illusionistic corkscrew, complete with painted shadow, appears to hang casually from a nail.

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